Were one to map out the curve that represents technological evolution over time, we would see that curve angling upward more steeply today than ever before. In light of today’s technologies, the extant technologies at the dawn of the information age look rather primitive. How long will it be before current technologies seem just as quaint? Twenty years? Perhaps even less?
That’s why it’s more critical than ever for engineers to avail themselves of resources that will expand their knowledge and skill sets. With artificial-intelligence (AI), machine-learning (ML), and virtual-twin technologies quickly making their way to the top of engineer’s minds, those who would deploy them in future projects must scramble to learn enough about them to effectively stay ahead of the competition.
But according to respondents to our 2024 Salary & Career Report survey, challenges abound for engineers seeking to stay up-to-date. As always, many cite time and/or cost as a barrier. There’s the issue of sorting through a near-constant bombardment of information. And when it comes to cutting-edge technologies like AI, it’s difficult to determine the difference between what’s truly useful and what’s hype.
Our survey asked about your current level of education and your preferred means of learning new tricks. We wanted to know whether your employer pays for continuing education, and if so, in what modes? In this article, we’ll look at these topics with facts, figures, and representative anecdotal responses. Bear in mind that for most questions, we asked you to “select all that apply,” so results won’t necessarily add up to 100%.
Higher Education Levels Are Falling vs. 2023
How well are engineers educated, and how do this year’s results compare with the 2023 survey (Fig. 1)? By far, the largest chunk of respondents holds a master’s degree (36.6% vs. 33.3% in 2023). Then there’s 23.2% with bachelor’s degrees, which is down from 25.6% in 2023.
Respondents with a bachelor’s degree plus some graduate studies are just shy of 14% this year, a slight decrease from last year. Doctorates are also down from 2023 levels: They’re a bit under 12% in 2024, falling from nearly 13%. Thus, somewhat surprisingly, the current overall education levels have fallen year-on-year compared to last year’s survey results.
Still an Abundance of Continuing Education Options
If you have managed to find time and resources with which to further your education in 2024, you had quite a few options to choose from. What were the ways in which you collectively refreshed your engineering knowledge base (Fig. 2)?
As usual, we’ve asked about your usage of various modes of education. In this year’s survey, the most popular was engineering/technology publications—over 65% of you make use of these educational tools, a 3% increase over the 2023 survey results. Also, over 52% of respondents visit websites associated with such publications (that’s down from 56.5% last year).
The business-to-business (B2B) media industry, including Microwaves & RF and its parent company Endeavor Business Media, produce quite a few print and/or online publications with a large amount of technical content that addresses a wide range of industries, among them the electronics OEM.
Nearly as many of you take advantage of webcasts, engineering videos, white papers, and seminars. These all come in at around 55% this year. Last year, all three of these modes rated higher (57%, 59%, and 62%, respectively). These types of materials can be found on the websites of engineering societies like IEEE, at vendor websites, and here on mwrf.com. These items are typically free for the asking (or registering). Most webcast providers make their events available on demand if you’ve missed the live streams.
In terms of popularity, the next tier of continuing education modes includes engineering textbooks (45% vs. 48% in 2023) and e-books (39% vs. 42% in 2023). Textbooks, of course, come at a cost that can be significant. Meanwhile, e-books are often free of charge. A selection of those, as well as a great deal of exclusive and free content, can be found on MWRF’s Members Only page (requires site registration).
What About In-Person Learning Options?
When we turn to how you consume in-person education options, in-person college courses have dropped to 11% this year vs. over 12% last year. Attendance for online courses fell as well, from nearly 27% last year to 22% in 2024.
Often, user groups will organize formal meetings, or more informal meetups, to exchange ideas, make career connections, or foster working relationships. While more than 18% of you attended such gatherings, they were a bit less popular in 2024 at about 16%. However, meetings sponsored by engineering associations were up significantly at 24% compared to about 19% last year.
How about trade shows like next year’s International Microwave Symposium or the Satellite 2025 show? It looks like you ventured out to more shows in 2024—almost 40% of you attended at least one vs. 29% in 2023. Online shows and conferences, though, were steady at about 17%.
Then there’s vendor-sponsored educational events: These dropped off considerably with just 27% of you taking advantage of these opportunities this year vs. nearly 35% in 2023. You were a tad more open to in-house education sponsored by your employers this year than last (near 21% vs. 19% in 2023).
Speaking of your employers, there are educational options that are free of charge and those that are not. We asked whether your employers reimburse you for those costs for any modes, and about 25% still report that you’re on your own as in 2023 (Fig. 3).
Employee reimbursement across various modes of paid education costs is a mixed bag. Employers are reimbursing more of you for seminars, engineering textbooks, publication subscriptions, engineering association dues, certifications, and college tuition. But not as many of you are getting back your costs for trade-show/conference attendance fees and online training.
Time is the Enemy of Education
In anecdotal responses to our survey, you offered a range of factors that mitigate your efforts to stay up-to-date with technology advances. There’s not much new under the sun in these responses. Some cite lack of motivation or bemoan a surfeit of relevant information. One respondent did offer up a novel factor: “fake information.” But as is always the case, it’s lack of time that’s the most often-cited reason for not getting schooled.
“There’s a lack of time to stay current given the workload and low staffing levels,” said one respondent. Another offered, “There’s no time to explore newer technologies and still do my work.” Similarly, a third complained that “my day-to-day workload is so great that I have little time for education.”
Some engineers seem to be mindful of the work/real-life imbalance that pressures people in all walks of life and occupations. “It’s difficult to fit it in during working hours,” said one respondent, who added, “More often than not, additional learning is on my time.” Another wrote that it’s hard to “find the time aside from work and personal obligations.”
Others find it challenging to sort through the enormous volume of information that’s available. “The problem is quickly determining new and relevant information in the huge information universe that bombards you daily,” wrote one respondent. Another added, “It’s comprehending and retaining the sheer volume of material needed to stay current.”
Finally, the pace of technological evolution stymies some who want to keep up. One respondent wrote, “It’s deciding where to focus or concentrate on. Lots of new things are happening simultaneously.” Another complains that “the rate of technology advancement continues to grow all the time.” For one hardware-oriented engineer, “there’s too much software focus for a guy like me.”
It’s never been easy to keep up with the state of the art in electronic engineering, and perhaps it’s never been harder than it is now. Here’s hoping you’re able to maintain and expand your knowledge base sufficiently in 2025 to stay current.
